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﻿Plantar Fasciitis Explained

You doctor or podiatrist can help you discover the cause of your condition. After the cause has been determined, your doctor will advise you on the best plantar fasciitis pain therapy. Most of the time, plantar fasciitis pain therapy is easily conducted at home with exercise, rest and relaxation. Sometimes staying off your feet for a given amount of time is the best form of plantar fasciitis pain therapy. Other times, a doctor may tell you to apply tape across the plantar fascia located just in front of the heel where the arch begins to allow the inflammation to subside and the foot to heal correctly.

If you are feeling plantar pain, a simple approach to assist in alleviating the stress on the fascia is to make use of arch support inserts and do plantar fasciitis exercises, that will strengthen the plantar fascia as well. One of the prescribed plantar fasciitis stretching exercises is stretching the foot before rising from bed. The Plantar Fascia will tighten while you sleep, which causes the intense pain that people feel when they get out of bed. By stretching the plantar fascia before you put pressure on it, you can help reduce the pain that you experience with your first morning steps.

The repetitive stress of certain conditions or activities commonly leads to plantar fasciitis. Repetitive pressure on the feet from jobs or activities that require prolonged walking or standing on hard on irregular surfaces - or running and exercise - can also lead to wear and tear on the plantar fascia. Aggravating factors, such as being overweight or having poorly cushioned shoes can also add to the cause of plantar fasciitis. The natural aging process (whoopee for me) may also cause tissue in the heels to weaken over time and/or promote wear and tear.

Plantar fasciitis usually causes a sharp, stabbing pain on the inside of the bottom of the heel that can feel like an ice pick jabbing into your heel. Pain from plantar fasciitis is usually most severe when you first stand on your feet in the morning. Many people complain that the first step out of bed is the worst. Many also have pain as they get up and start to walk after sitting for a period of time while working at a desk or computer. This heel pain will usually subside as you walk, but can return with prolonged standing, walking or running.

The Mayo Clinic website states that plantar fasciitis is a condition that occurs gradually overtime and can affect people in the morning after getting up out of bed. The cause of plantar fasciitis is thought to be from overuse and irritation of the plantar fascia. The American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine states that many factors have been looked at regarding the cause of plantar fasciitis, including leg length differences, altered bio-mechanics, low or high arches and improper gait. They state that heel pain can occur from many different factors; no one thing causes plantar fasciitis. Treatments

The plantar fascia is a basically inflexible, strong, fibrous band on the lower partof the foot. This band helps keep the sophisticated arch system of the foot, it is a shock absorber, participates in one's balance and in the different phases of gait. The plantar fascia transfer the weight across the lower part of the foot every step you are taking. At the moment the ankle of the trailing foot begins to lift off the ground, the plantar fascia band endures stress that is close to twice body weight. If the calf muscles are stiff than the stress is increased.

If your foot pain does not respond within a reasonable amount of time to noninvasive treatments, your podiatrist may suggest other options, such as corticosteroid injections, extracorporeal shock wave therapy and iontophoresis. Extracorporeal shock wave therapy is thought to stimulate your plantar fascia tissue to accelerate its healing. Iontophoresis uses low-level electrical stimulation to push corticosteroid ointment into the soft tissues of your foot. You may be referred to a surgeon for a plantar fasciotomy, an operation in which part of your plantar fascia is cut away from your heel. The connective tissue then regrows, creating a longer plantar fascia. References

In general, plantar fasciitis is a self-limiting condition. Unfortunately, the time until resolution is often six to 18 months, which can lead to frustration for patients and physicians. Rest was cited by 25 percent of patients with plantar fasciitis in one study as the treatment that worked best. 3 Athletes, active adults and persons whose occupations require lots of walking may not be compliant if instructed to stop all activity. Many sports medicine physicians have found that outlining a plan of “relative rest” that substitutes alternative forms of activity for activities that aggravate the symptoms will increase the chance of compliance with the treatment plan. 4

Treatment of this condition after proper diagnosis from a foot and ankle surgeon usually begins with rest and avoiding any physical activities that might aggravate the plantar fasciitis Icing 20 minutes several times a day also helps reduce the inflammation associated with the condition. Also, it is important to avoid going barefoot. This puts excessive stain on the plantar fascia. Stretching exercises are also critical. Stretching helps not only to stretch the calf muscles but also stretches the plantar fascia to help reduce pain and help with the recovery. Medications are also useful in the treatment process.

Two reasons for sore feet would be the corns and calluses which have grown due to unnecessary rubbing of the feet on the footwear material. Dead skin cells accumulate and in the end form these types of unpleasant corns and calluses. Shoes that are fashioned with rough fabric and materials could possibly be bothersome if you don't dress yourself in stockings in order to decrease the friction points. You can remove the calluses and corns many times with the aid of over-the-counter medications or even by utilizing an exfoliating agent in conjunction with bathing them in warm water.